Car roof



April 8, 1924; 1,489,337

J. J. ACKER 1 CAR ROOF Filed ar' h s, 1920 a Shuts-Sheet 1 BY 710M,

ATTYS.

J. J. ACKER April 8, 1924;-

GAR ROOF v F116;! March 5. 1920 s Sheets-Sheet 2 Arrrs) J. J. ACKER CAR ROOF April 8, 1924.

Patented Apr. 8, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JULIUS J. ACKER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS; IRVIN D. ACKER ADMINISTRATOR F SAID JULIUS J. AGKER, DECEASED.

CAR ROOF.

Application filed March 3, 1920. Serial No. 363,073.

To (all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jones J. ACKER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident 'of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of 6 Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car Roofs, of which the following is a specification. I

The invention relates to weather proof metal covering for car roofs and more par- 10 ticularly to weather proof covering formed of light sheet metal and adapted for use with cars having load-supporting board roofs. The invention seeks to provide an improved structure which is weather and dirt tight and in which the metal roofing sheets are freely movable to a limited extent. The invention consists in the features of improvement hereinafter set forth, illustrated in the preferred form in the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of one end of a car roof with the present improved covering applied thereto. Figure 2 is an end elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1. Figure 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 1. Figure 4 is an enlarged detail plan of the portions of the roof sheets and cooperating caps at the center of the roof, the running board saddle being omitted and portions of the caps being broken away. Figure 5 is a perspective view of the parts shown in Fig. 4 and also showing a portion of the running board saddle. Figures 6 and 7 are detail sections on the lines 66 and 77 respectivelyof Fig. 4. Figure 8 is a detail section on the line 88 of Fig. 1.

The improved weather proof covering is shown applied to a roof structure of ordinary construction comprising. side plates 1, a ridge pole 2 and side and roof boards 3 and 4. The roof boards are supported in the usual manner by carlines and also, if desired, by purlines. Fascia boards 5 are secured to the sides of the roof structure by bolts 6 extending through the sidingand side plates 1. Preferably, as shown, the fascias are spaced from the siding 3 by spacing blocks 7 arranged at intervals throughout the length of the car and also through which the bolts 6'extend.

The roof sheets or plates 8 and 8" are formed of sheet metal and preferably extend between the center and sides of the roof. These sheets have upstanding flanges 9 and 10 at their inner and side edges respectively. The upright flanges 9 at the inner edges of the plates are preferably provided at their upper edges with out-turned, substantially horizontal flanges 11 and the upright side flanges 10 preferably have lips 12 at their upper edges which turn inwardly and downwardly toward the main body portions of the respective sheets. The upright flanges 9 and 10 are preferably connected at their meeting ends by joints, each comprising a lip 13 on one flange that overlaps and is soldered or otherwise suitably secured to the other flange, as shown most clearly in Fig. 4. The outer edges of the sheets extend beyond the side flanges 10 and form downturned eave flanges 14 which are preferably arranged in the spaces between the siding 3 and fascias 5 of the car and between the spacing blocks 7 (see Fig. 8). To stiffen the flange 14, its extreme lower edge is preferably bent upon itself as shown. The outer edges of the roof plates also extend over a flashing 15 of thin sheet metal which overlaps the adjacent edges of the side and roof boards 3 and 4 and is nailed thereto and extends throughout the length of the car.

WVith the exception of those at the extreme ends of the car, the roof sheets are not nailed or otherwise rigidly secured tothe roof structure at any point but are held in position upon the upper surface thereof by longitudinal and transverse caps. The end sheets 8 are considerably narrower than the intermediate sheets 8 and are provided at their outer side edges with downturned flanges 16 nailed as shown to the adjacent face of the car. (See Fig. 2.) The transverse caps comprise channel-like portions 17 which extend over the sideflanges 10 of the roof sheets and the outer vertical side walls 18 thereof are provided with out turned foot flanges 19 which engage the upper faces of the roof sheets. The transverse caps are also provided with central U-shaped supporting portions 20 which depend between the side edge flanges 10 and engage the upper face of the board roof 4. The inverted U-shaped channel portions 17 of the transverse caps extend over the side-edge flanges 10 of the roof sheets but are spaced therefrom, as most clearly shown in Fig. 6, to permit the limited independent movement of the roof sheets. These channels are closed at their outer ends by depending portions 21 of the top walls thereof (see Fig. 8) to prevent the entrance of rain,,snow, dust, and the like. The central portions of the transverse caps extend beyond the ends of the channels 17 and are provided with down: turned flanges or extensions 22 which are securely clamped between the fascia boards 5 and the spacing blocks 7 (see Figs. 3 and 8), the latter being so'arranged that there is one block opposite the/outer end of each transverse cap. Preferably, also, the bolts 6 extend through the depending flanges or extensions 22 of the transverse caps- If desired, each transverse cap could extend the entire width of the car. roofibut preferably, each extendsbetween one side of the car and its center and the inner endsof the caps in alinement are lapped one over the other (see Figs. 3, 4 and 7); It shouldalso be noted that at the inner end portions of the transverse caps, the side walls 18 and foot flanges 19 are omitted. v V i The central longitudinal caps 23 are of sufficient length to extendbetweeneach pair of transverse caps. The upper portions thereof are oppositely inclined in correspondence with the inclination of the porions of the car roof on opposite sides of the ridge pole. The longitudinal caps' extend over the inner edge flanges 9 andjll of the roof sheets and have vertically depending walls 24 at their longitudinal side edges. These walls are provided with inwardly turned foot flanges 25 which engage the upper faces of the roof sheets 8' and 8". As most clearly shown in Fig. 7, the edges of the flanges 11 and 25 are spaced from the vertical walls 9 and 24 to permit the limited shift of the roof sheets. I

As already noted, the side walls 18 and flanges 19 of. the transverse caps are omitted or cut away at the inner portions-thereof but the side walls 18 are of suflicientlength to meet the vertical side walls 24 of the longitudinal caps ,(see Fig. 4): Beyond this point, the side walls and flanges 25; of the longitudinal caps are cutaway or omitted but the upper walls thereof are provided with extensions 26 which project over the raised portions of the transverse caps and have flanges 27 which extend down into the U-shaped portions 20 and fit against the side walls thereof (see Figs. 5 and 6).

Running board saddle blocks 28 have horizontal upper faces andlo wer faces provided withoppositely inclined portions fit within the U-shaped portions 2Q of the transverse caps and the lower portions of'the saddle blocks are cut away to form shoulders 29 which engage the extensions 26 of the longitudinal caps. -Bolts 30 extend centrally through the saddle blocks, through theoverlapping ends of the transverse caps and also through the roof boards 4 and ridge pole 2 position, and the latter, by engaging the overlapping ends of the longitudinal and transverse caps, clamp the same tothe roof structure. The lower portions of the saddle blocks engage the horizontal portions of the transverse caps which rest directly upon the roof structure so that the clamping pressure of the saddle blocks is not exerted upon the roof sheets. In other words, the U-shaped portions 20 of the transverse caps, and par= ticularly the vertical side wallsthereof, form in'eflect means :forsupporting the caps directly from thero'of; structure .so that the clamping pressure ofthefastening devices by which the parts-of the metallic covering are held in place is not exerted on the roof sheets. The latter are, however, held against the upper face 'of the roof bV the foot flanges-19 and 25 which form snug, tight joints'therewith but at the same time, the sheets are quite free to move to a limited extent relatively to the caps. Suflicient flexibility is therefore provided to prevent wear and buckling of the roof sheets due to weaving 0f the car structure.

The heads of the bolts 30 which secure the saddle blocks in place are preferably countersunk in their upper faces and are covered by cap pieces'31 havingdownturned edge flanges 32 which'fit in grooves in the upper face ofthe saddle blocks, and downturned edge flanges 33 which extend over the side faces oftheblocks. One of the latter flanges is preferably of considerable width and is nailed to the saddle block. Also, to avoid leaking of the roof around the bolts, the overlapping portions of the transverse cap pieces are' provided with upturned flanges 34 whichfit about :the bolts, as indicated in Figs. 3, 4- and 7 The usual running boards 35 are mounted on the saddle blocks as shown. 1 In-the preferred form set forth, the edge channels 17 of. the transverse caps not only support the caps, but strengthen them'so that thesaddle blocks, fascia boards and the usual clamping bolts therefor are the. only securing means required for the weather proof roof covering, except the extreme end sheets and caps, and the covering can be readily applied or sections thereof removed for renewals or repairs. The extremeend sheets 8, as stated, have flanges thatgare secured to the end faces of the car. Similarly, the end, longitudinal caps 23' have downturned flanges 36 that are nailed to the ends :ofthe car (see Fig. 2). Each of the .roof sheets can readily 7 shift, as described, to a limite d extent and the vertical flanges and walls which limit the movement of the-roofsheets areso arranged that when any one sheet isshifted toits extreme limit, its vertical walls or flanges 9, 10 and 14 will be brought to bearings at a number of different points so that they cannot be readly bent or distorted. The sheets and caps can be formed of light gauge metal, since they are strengthened by the flanged edge portions thereof. Moreover, the tortuous passages formed by the flanges and the snug oints formed by the resilient pressure of the foot flanges of the caps upon the sheets render the improved roof covering effectively veather and dirt tight.

Obviously, changes maybe made in the details set forth without departure from the essentials of the invention as defined in the claims.

I claim as my invention 1. In a car roof, the combination with the load-carrying roof structure, of a metal covering therefor comprising a series of sheets extending between the center and sides of the roof and having upstanding flanges at their inner and side edges, longitudinal and transverse caps extending over said flanges and having foot flanges engaging said sheets for holding said sheets in engagement with said roof structure while permitting the independent movement thereof, said caps having supporting portions depending between the flanges of said sheets and provided with flat faces resting on the roof structure, and

means for securing said caps to the center and sides of the roof. I

2. In a car roof, the combination with the load-carrying roof structure, of a metal covering therefor comprising a series of sheets extending between the center and sides of the roof and having upstanding flanges at their inner and side edges, longitudinal and transverse caps extending over said flanges and having foot flanges engaging said sheets for holding said sheets in engagement with said roof structure while permitting the independent movement thereof, said caps having ends overlapping at the center of the roof, said transverse caps having supporting portions depending between the side edge flanges of said sheets and provided with a flat base resting on the roof structure, and means for clamping the overlapping portions of said caps and the outer end portions of said transverse caps to the roof structure.

3. In a car roof, the combination with the load-carrying roof structure, of a metal covering therefor comprising a series of sheets extending between the center and sides of the roof and having upstanding flanges at their inner and side edges, longitudinal and transverse caps extending over said flanges and having foot flanges engaging said sheets for holding said sheets in engagement with said roof structure while permitting the independent movement thereof, said transverse caps having U-shaped portions depending between the side edge flanges of said sheets into engagement with the roof structure, and said longitudinal caps having end extensions overlapping the U-shaped portions of said transverse caps, running board saddle blocks fitting within said U- shaped portions, engaging said end extensions and secured to the roof structures, and means for clamping the ends of said transverse caps to the sides of the roof structure.

i. In a car roof, the combination with a load-carrying board roof, of metal covering therefor comprising independently movable sheets extending between the center thereto, and means for clamping the ends of said transverse caps to the sides of the roof.

5. In a car roof, the combination with a load-supporting roof structure, of a metal covering therefor comprising a series of sheets extending between the center and sides of the roof, said sheets having upstanding flange-s at their inner and side edges and having free outer edges provided with depending ea-ve flanges, and longitudinal and transverse caps extending over and engaging the inner and side edge portions of said sheets to hold the same against the roof structure while permitting the limited independent movement thereof, said transverse caps being secured to the roof structure and having a flat central plate resting on the roof boards between the side edge flanges of saidsheets.

6; In a car roof, the combination as set forth, in claim 5, and fascias spaced from the side edges of the roof structure and extending over the depending eave flanges of said sheets and normally spaced therefrom, the parts being arranged to permit the limited movement of the free outer edge portions of said sheets.

7 In a car roof, the combination with the car siding, a load-carrying board roof and fascias spaced from the side edges of said roof, of a metal covering for the roof comprising a series of roof sheets having upstanding side edge flanges and free outer edges provided with depending flanges arranged in the spaces between said fascias and the side edges of said roof and normally spaced from said fascias, and transverse caps supported by and secured to the roof and extending over and engaging the side 

